Eleonora Galasso’s Italian cuisine

My Italian Link’s Editor in chief Audrey Robin had the pleasure to meet with tv personality, food writer and consultant Eleonora Galasso. An opportunity to talk about her book, As the Romans Do, published by the Octopus Publishing Group, but also a fine opportunity to share her vision of Italian cuisine. Be prepared to live out ‘Food Happiness’ with Eleonora!

What are the traditional Italian Christmas dishes?
On the 24th there would be a big fish, cooked and put in the middle of the dining table for the family to share. On Christmas day it’s tortellini in brodo (pasta simmered in a hearty meat broth) and bollito misto (a wide range of meats simmered in a succulent broth).

If you had to describe your cuisine in three words, what would those be?
Participatory, Sharing and Freshness – as for locally sourced and seasonal products. I think what really reflects Italian philosophy, food-wise, is the expression Arte di Arrangiarsi, which basically means ‘cook with what you have’.

Could you explain this a bit more?
I believe there are three main ingredients that every Italian should have at home: fresh eggs, anchovies and, of course, olive oil. With these ingredients you can do whatever you want! For instance, you have some leftovers from your Sunday spaghetti? Just beat some eggs, and fry them with the spaghetti!

Could you talk about your motto, ‘Food Happiness’?

You know that moment when your dish arrives on the table? You are so hungry, the smell is almost bewitching, and you just want to eat it? That perfect moment, when you might have all sorts of problems in your life, but everything just disappears for a while. This is ‘Food Happiness’!

If you had to choose one Italian dish, what would it be?
Definitely melanzane alla parmigiana! I could kill for it! For me, it’s the perfect Italian dish because of the ingredients. It’s important that one can easily find the ingredients of a recipe, or that a recipe can be adapted wherever you live.